Type wetting machine and card holder therefor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. B. WEBB. TYPE WRITING MACHINE 'AND CARD HOLDER THEREFOR. No. 496,984. Patented May 9, 1893.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G B WEBB TYPE WRITING MACHINE AND CARD HOLDER THEREFOR. No. 496,984.

Patented May 9, 1893.

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EYERS c0, P

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WVEBB, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE WYOKOFF,

SEAMANS & BENEDICT, OF SAME PLACE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE AND CARD-HOLDER THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,984, dated May 9, 1893.

Application filed September 29, 1892. Serial No. 447,300- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. WEBB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TypeWVriting Machines and Gard-Holders Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its main object to provide a means for properly holding postal and other cards or other comparatively stiff or heavy paper or paste-board to or upon the cylindrical platen of type-writin gmachines,in order that the alignment of the printing may be preserved and blurring or smutting of the impressions avoided. And to this main end my invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a front elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a type-writin g machine having my invention applied thereto, the platen being shown in its normal working position. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the improved card holding means. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at the line to, w of Fig. 1, showing the usual Remington feed-roller and feed band pulley in addition, and illustrating at the same time the introduction of a card or heavy sheet of paper, and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts as having been moved to bring the card or heavy sheet of paper to a position to be written upon. 9

In the several views the same parts will be found designated by the same numerals of reference.

1 designates the main carriage, and 2 the platen-carrier of a Remington type-writing machine, but my invention may of course be applied to any other construction of carriage or platen-carrier.

3 designates the platen, 4 the feed or pressure-roller, which as usual in the Remington machine, is provided at each end with a grooved band wheel (not shown) around which an endless rubber band 4 passes, the upper ply of said band passing under and in contact with the platen and around an oppositely-arranged pnlley 6 on a crossshaft 7 secured to the platen-carrier. From said shaft, at each end, extends rearwardly an arm 8, which arms at their free ends support ascale-bar or feed-blade 9, its front edge lying in close proximityto the under side of the platen and about tangentially thereof.

10 represents a rod, to which is secured by solder or otherwise, a series of three or more hangers 11 distributed along said rod, and carrying each a small anti-friction roll 12. At each end the said rod 10 is bent to form an arm 13, which is curved upwardly and rearwardly preferably on an arc of a circle con= centric with the surface of the platen. From each of said arms 13 extends a lateral member 14, which projects outwardly or in the direction of the end of the platen, and upon said member is preferably secured a hanger 15 bearing a small anti-friction roll 16. From the outer end of said member 14 extends upwardly and rearwardly another arm 17, which is also preferably bent on an arc of a circle substantially concentric withthe periphery of the platen. The two arms '13 and 17 are preferably formed with the same radius, but the arm 17 is preferably arranged to occupy a position nearer the end of the platen than the arm 13, and for this reason the lateral member let is provided. At the upper free end of each of the arms 17 is mounted a small anti-friction roll 18, and soldered or otherwise secured to some part pf the frame thus formed, but preferably to one of the arms 13, is a handle 19, by which the contrivance may be conveniently manipulated.

The rod 10, the arms 13, the lateral members 14:, and the arms 17 are all preferably made of one piece of round spring-wire, and these parts are so constructed that the curved line or are from the bottom rolls 12 to the top rolls, is slightly greater than a semi-circle, or slightly in excess of one-half of the circumference of the platen; and the said parts are also so constructed that the distance directly between the rolls 13 and the rolls 18 is slightly less than the diameter of the platen. By constructing the contrivance in this manner it is adapted to hold itself upon the platen of the machine.

The contrivance is applied to the platen by simply pushing it thereupon. The normal distance directly between the two sets of rolls being slightly less than the diameter of the platen, and the length of the are between the pivots of the rolls 12 and 18 being slightly greater than one-half of the circumference of the platen, the said rollers are obliged to separate sightly in approaching the center line of the platen, the arms yielding to permit such separation, and as soon as the said rolls have been forced beyond the center line of the platen they spring toward each other by reason of the resiliency of the parts and firmly clasp the periphery of the platen, as shown at Fig. 3. In this position the bottom rolls 12 are arranged with their points of contact contiguous to the inner edge of the scale-bar or feed-blade. If, in applying the contrivance the said rolls do not come naturally to the position shown they may be carried thereto by a downward movement of the handle 19. In this position the contrivance is best adapted to receive and guide and feed the leading edge of the card or other stiff substance 20 to be written upon. This may be best done by passing such card down between the feed roller and the platen in the usual way of inserting paper, rotating the platen by means of the line-spacing mechanism or by hand until the leading end of the card has passed in between the platen and the lower rolls 12, as shown at Fig. 3. During the rotation of the platen for the insertion of the card, the lower rolls of the holding and guiding contrivance may be prevented from moving away from the scalebar or feed-blade 9, by holding down the handle 19. When the card has been brought to the position shown at Fig. 3, orfirmly held at its leading end between the platen and the lower rolls, the platen may be turned in linespace direction until that portion of the card at which the printing is to commence is brought to the impression point, the contrivance turning with the platen, as shown in Fig. 4:. From this view, it will be observed that the card is held closely to the surface of the cylindrical platen at its leading end by means of the lower rolls, and at points back of the impression line by means of the scalebar or feed-blade 9 and the pressure roller. In order to print upon cards as perfectly as on ordinary paper it is essential that the card be held firmly to the platen at and in the vicinity of the printing point, and this I have found in practice may be accomplished in a most satisfactory way by the rolls 12. Successive lines may be written upon the card by rotating the platen in line-space direction, and during the line-spacing movement of the platen, the card-holding contrivance may be allowed to rotate with the platen, or the said contrivance may be held stationary thereupon, during such rotation, by simply holding upon the handle portion during the line spacing movement, thus maintaining the lower rolls always at or about at the locality shown at Fig. 4, during the printing of the successive lines. But without materially detracting from the efficiency of the contrivance the whole may be allowed to turn with the platen unt1l the upper rolls 18 are carried around to and bear upon the feed-roller 4:, or if the card be unusually long upon or against the surfaceof the card. When the rolls 18 are thus arrested the platen may still be rotated and the card fed lengthwise, or in the direction of rotation of the platen, the rolls 12 turnlng by means of the friction, although the framework of the contrivance remains stationary. If the dimensions of the card are such that the ends of the same extend as far as the rolls 16, the arms 13 and the said rolls will serve to guide the card upwardly and rearwardly, and if the ends of the card extend to the arms 17 said arms will also serve to guide the card in the same direction.

The card may be inserted in another way. Theholdingcontrivance maybeturnedaround until the rolls 18 abut against the feed roller 4:- The leading end of the card may then be passed under the rolls 18. Then as the platen is rotated, the rollers 18 are turned by their frictional contact with the feed-roller 4 and the card is fed down between said feed-roller and the platen until its leading end arrives between the scale-bar or feed-blade and the platen. The holding contrivance may then be partially rotated backwardly about the platen until the rolls 12 are broughttoaboutthe position shown at Fig.6, whereupon the platen may be turned to advance the card in the manner hereinbefore explained.

XVhile I have shown a card-holding contrivance of a length almost equal to that of the platen, it may of course be made very much smaller and of varying sizes, according to the desires of the user, and numerous other changes in detail construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the gist of my invention.

The device 12 which bears upon the card and presses it against the platen, I prefer to have in the form of a roll, as thereby the paper may be better fed, but said device may be non-rotatable, 'or a plain bar, and as many such devices may be employed as may be found expedient. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the device 12 constructed as a roll, nor to any number of such devices.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A card-holding contrivance constructed for direct attachment to and to be supported upon the platen of a type-writing machine, and provided with one or more rolls 12, or their equivalent arranged to operate in substantially the manner set forth.

2. A card-holding contrivance of curved or are shape and constructed to grasp or clasp more than one half of the periphery of the platen of a type-writing machine, and pro vided with one or more rolls 12 or their equivalent.

3. A card-holding contrivance of curved or IIO are shape and of spring metal, and adapted to be sprung and held by its own resiliency upon the periphery of a type-writer platen, and provided with one or more rolls 12 or their equivalent.

4. A card-holding contrivance, consisting essentially of a rod 10, one or more bearers 12, curved or arc-shaped end members, and one or more bearers 18.

5. A card-holding contrivance, consisting of the rod 10, the rolls 12, the end arms 13 and 17, and the rolls 18, the whole being made of curved or arc-shape.

6. A card-holding contrivance, consisting of the rod 10, the rolls 12, the end portions 13, 14 and 17, the rolls 16, the rolls 18, and the handle 19, the whole being made of curved or arc'shape and of spring metal.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen; of a card-hold ing contrivance adapted to be held thereon by spring-pressure and provided with means for holding the card to the platen in the vicinity of the impression point.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a card-holding contrivance held thereupon by springpressure and adapted to turn with said platen, to turn independently of said platen, and to be held stationary, While said platen is turning, and provided with one or more rolls 12 or their equivalent.

9. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a cardholding contrivance of curved or arc-shape, the length of the curve or arc being slightly greater than one-half of the circumference of the platen, whereby said contrivance may be clasped and held upon the platen, and provided with means for holding the leading end of thecard against the surface of the platen in the vicinity ofthe printing point.

10. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a cardholding contrivance of curved or are shape and composed of spring metal, the length of the curve or arc being slightly greater than one half the circumference of the platen, and the distance directly between the ends of said curve or are being slightly less than the diameter of said platen, and provided with means for holding the leading end of the card against the surface of the platen in the vicinity of the printing point.

11. In a type-Writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a cardholding contrivance of curved or are shape sprung upon said platen, provided with means on its under side for holdingthe leading end of the card in the vicinity of the printing point of the platen, and adapted to turn with said. platen, to turn independently of sa d platen, and to remain at rest while the said platen is being rotated.

12. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, a feed-roller, and a scale bar, or feed-blade, of a card-holding contrivance of curved or are shape clasped upon said platen, and provided with means to hold the leading end of a card against the platen in the Vicinity of the printing point and adapted to turn with said platen, to turn independently of said platen, and to be held stationary while said platen is being rotated.

13. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical platen, a feed-roller, and a scale-bar or feed-blade, of a card-holdin g contrivance sprung upon said platen, and consisting essentially of the rod 10, the rolls 12, the curved or arc-shaped ends, and the rolls 18.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of September, A. D. 1892. GEORGE E. WEBB.

Witnesses:

JAooB FELBEL, IDA MACDONALD. 

